


Whumptober 9

by Waywocket



Category: Autodale (Web Series)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:15:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26907232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Waywocket/pseuds/Waywocket
Summary: Shadow was built to help people. Not take them away.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Whumptober 9

It was Shadow's job to protect people. He was built and released from Hive to protect the citizens of Autodale. They had created a story, he was the hero to protect them. His body was built stronger than a Handyman to fight off the Freaks if they breached the wall. A gun built to keep the beasts back.

So why was he standing in someone’s house, trying to pull a child away from her sobbing mother?

A child that cried and screamed in fear, unsure of what was happening. 

She had been sick, near death. Something he thought no parent should have to bear. She had recovered but at the cost of her hearing. 

The little girl was no longer pretty. There was no place in Autodale for someone who could not hear. She could not grow up and function in society. For Autodale was hardly Automatic. Or so their propaganda spewed. 

He hated it. This wasn’t what he was meant for. He was built to protect. His job was not to take away less than model citizens.

The mother was almost crushing her daughter, trying to keep Shadow away from her. “Please! Please don’t take her! Take me instead! But don’t take her away!” She begged, tears dripping off her face under her mask.

This wasn’t right. Shadow couldn’t do this, it was wrong. “Hive?” He asked, hoping there was something, anything.

“If she’s so insistent ongoing, just take them both, Shadow. She’ll likely be trouble later if she’s raising so much fuss over a deaf little girl.”

“Hive,” he whispered. He didn’t want to do this, couldn’t do this. There had to be something he could do. A way to save them both. Shadow just needed a moment to think. Anything!

“Honestly, Shadow, you can’t save everyone. They aren’t worth saving.” Hive sounded more annoyed now as two Handymen brushed past him.

“Always causing trouble,” chided one in that same bland voice. They easily ripped apart the mother and daughter as the screaming grew louder. With little effort, they adjusted them on their shoulders so they wouldn’t getaway.

That was that. The Handymen turned and left as if carrying out a bag of trash. Which, Shadow thought, was probably, how they saw it.

“Do try to behave, Shadow.”

Shadow stands alone in the now empty living room. He stood perfectly still until the screaming stopped suddenly. Closing his eyes tightly, he pressed his face into his hands. He wasn’t built for this.


End file.
